Hygienic spray control device



June 4, 1968 A. H. MARTINI HYGIENIC SPRAY CONTROL DEVICE Filed May 31, 1966 ARTHUR H. MARTINI INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,386,105 HYGIENIC SPRAY CONTROL DEVICE Arthur H. Martini, West Hempstead, NY. (144 Mendon Center Road, Pittsford, N.Y. 14534) Filed May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 553,952 8 Claims. (Cl. 4-7) This invention relates to a bidette and more particularly to a control device for operating a hygiene spray which is incorporated in a water closet.

A number of hygienic spray devices have been developed over the years but these devices generally have not enjoyed complete public acceptance, particularly in the United States. One reason such devices are believed not to be in more general usage is that substantial changes have been needed in existing water closets in order to adapt the same for use with a hygienic spray. The control device of the present invention comprises a simple mechanism which can be easily installed in existing water closets and is designed to provide satisfactory and precisely controlled operation of a hygienic spray. In US. Patent 3,044,076 granted to me on July 17, 1962, there is disclosed a novel toilet seat which incorporates a hygenic spray. While other toilet seat and spray combinations can be utilized with the control device of the present invention, the control device herein described is particularly well adapted for use with a hygienic spray of the type disclosed in my prior patent. In one of the broader aspects the control device of the present invention comprises a valve which is located within the flush tank of a water closet for operating the hygienic spray prior to the discharge of tank water from the tank into the toilet bowl.

One object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved water closet which includes a hygienic spray.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for selectively controlling the operation of a hygienic spray in a water closet.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for controlling a hygienic spray in a water closet, which device serves the added function of connecting the flush water tank to the tank supporting portion of a toilet bowl.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device for use in a water closet for controlling the operation of a hygienic spray from the handle and trip lever of the flush tank in such a way that the spray is operated prior to the discharge of tank water into a toilet bowl.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the drawings in which like characters denote like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water closet, parts of which are broken away to better show the control device of the present invention as it might be used in the water closet;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the valve and mount for the control device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the valve shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the arrangement of parts of the control device of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the water closet comprises a flush water tank 11 having a removable top 13. The flush handle 15 is located on the outside of tank 11 and is connected by means of trip lever 17 and trip links 19 and 21 to the drain valve 23 which is located in the base 25 of the flush tank. The mechanism so far described in the flush tank is conventional and requires 3,386,105 Patented June 4, 1968 no further description herein except that it should be noted that trip links 19 and 21 are interconnected by sliding loops 26 and 26' so as to provide a predetermined amount of lost motion prior to opening drain valve 23. To express it another way, handle 15 must be rotated through a predetermined are before the ball 27 is raised from the discharge opening 29 to permit water in the tank to discharge into the toilet bowl 31.

As is conventional and well known, the base 25 of tank 11 is provided with a pair of spaced openings which are positioned to align with a pair of similar openings formed in the tank supporting portion 33 of bowl 31. Mounting bolts, such as bolt 35, with their associated nuts are customarily used for mounting the tank on the bowl. The control device 37 of the present invention replaces one of the mounting bolts for mounting the flush tank on the toilet bowl.

The structure of the control device will be best understood by reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The number 41 designates the stem of the spray valve. The stem has on one end a small hole to receive link 43 which is connected on the other end to the trip lever 17 as shown in FIG. 1. On the other end of stem 41 there is provided an annular flange 45 and a sealing washer 47 which is secured on the flange 45 by means of a small screw 49. The stem 41 is mounted for a longitudinal movement in a bushing 51 which is attached to a U-shaped bracket 53. A valve seat 61 is provided in longitudinal alignment with the washer 47 so that when the washer is firmly engaged in the seat, water does not flow through the spray valve 37. The seat 61 is formed on oneend of a tubular member 63 which provides communication between the interior of the tank 11 and the hygienic spray 65 which is incorporated in toilet seat 67. The mounting of toilet seat 67 on the toilet bowl 31 and the structure of the hygienic spray incorporated in the toilet seat is fully described in the above-cited US. Patent 3,044,- 076. Accordingly, further details of such structure will not be set forth herein. It should be noted, however, that the tubular member 63 is connected to the spray 65 by means of a flexible tubing 69 in a manner contemplated by the disclosure of my prior patent.

Adjacent to the seat 61 the tubular member 63 is provided with a flange 71 which is threaded to receive mounting screws 73 which hold the bracket 53 in proper alignment for seating of the washer 47 in the seat 61. To prevent leakage of tank water around valve 37 through the hole formed in tank 11, a gasket 75 is utilized. The opposite end of the tubular member 63 is threaded as indicated at 77 to receive a washer 79 and nut 81 by means of which the tank 11 and tank supporting portion 33 of the toilet bowl may be securely mounted together. The purpose of spring 83 is to resiliently urge the washer into sealing engagement with seat 61.

To facilitate the understanding of the present invention the operation of a water closet which incorporates the control device of the present invention now will be described. Notice that the link 43 interconnects trip lever 17 and stem 41 with little or no lost motion. In other words, any vertical movement of the trip lever is directly imparted to the stem. On the other hand, the trip links 19 and 21 provide for considerable lost motion as indicated, for example, by the distance between the loops 26 and 26' formed on the ends of these interconnected links. Thus, it takes quite a bit of vertical movement of trip lever 17, for example, before the drain valve 23 is opened. Thus, as the handle 15 is rotated in a counterlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, stem 41 is raised against the resilient spring 83 to open the spray valve 37 at which time water in the tank 11 flows through the tubular member 63, tubing 69 and through the hygienic spray 65. The spray can be continued for as long a period as desired, after which the handle 15 may be further rotated raising ball 27 and opening the drain valve 23 so that flushing action of the water closet occurs. When handle 15 is released the spray valve 37 closes by virtue of the action of spring 83 forcing washer 47 in engagement with seat 66 cutting off the flow of water through spray 65. However, as is well known, the drain valve 23 remains open until the water from the tank has drained through opening 29 and ball 27 floats on the surface of the water down onto the opening 29 and terminates further discharge from the tank 11.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the hygienic spray control device of the present invention can be easily incorporated in water closets currently in use to provide a Well-controlled, effective hygienic spray at a minimum of cost and modification.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure that many modifications are possible. For example, it is not necessary that the spray valve of the present invention be utilized for the purpose of mounting a flush water tank on a toilet bowl, but that in fact the spray valve can be used with equal facility in water closets in which the flush tank is suspended above the toilet bowl. Since this and other modifications are possible, the scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

1. A hygienic spray control device for use with a toilet provided with a hygienic spray and having a flush water tank, a bowl, a water drain valve in communication between the tank and bowl, and means for actuating said drain valve to discharge water from the tank into said bowl, said control device comprising:

(a) second valve means located within said tank and in communication between said tank and said spray; and

(b) means operatively associated with said actuating means for actuating said second valve prior to said drain valve to discharge water from said tank through said spray, whereby said spray is operated before water from the tank is discharged into said bowl.

2. A hygienic spray control device is accordance with claim 1 and wherein said second valve means is mounted in the base of the tank whereby the hydrostatic pressure of water above the second valve means in the tank increases the effectiveness of said spray.

3. A hygienic spray control device in accordance with claim 2 and wherein said second valve means includes means for mounting said tank in fixed relation on said bowl.

4. A hygienic spray control device in accordance with claim 3 and wherein said mounting means comprises:

(a) an external flange for engaging the base of said tank;

(b) a tubular member extending from aid flange through the base of the tank and a tank supporting portion of said bowl; and

(c) fastening means associated with the end of said member remote from said flange for drawing by means of the flange the base of said tank into fixed mounting relation on the tank supporting portion of said bowl.

5. A hygienic spray control device in accordance with claim 4 and wherein:

(a) said mounting means further comprises gasket means disposed between the flange and base of said tank for forming a water seal therebetween;

(b) said member has external threads on the end thereof remote from said flange; and

(c) said fastening means comprises a nut threadably received on said member.

6. A hygienic spray control device in accordance with claim 4 and wherein said second valve means further comprises:

(a) a valve seat in communication with said tubular member and disposed on the side of said flange opposite the tubular member;

(b) a valve stem including means for engaging said seat to prevent water from flowing through said p y;

(c) a bracket mounted on said flange for supporting said stem in alignment with said seat; and

(d) resilient means for urging said sealing means into sealing engagement with said seat.

7. A hygienic spray control device in accordance with claim 6 and wherein said second valve actuating means comprises a link which connects for movement said valve stem to said drain valve actuating means with less lost motion than that involved in the actuation of said drain valve.

8. In a water closet including a flush water tank, a toilet bowl, a drain valve in communication between said tank and said bowl, means including a trip lever and trip linkage for actuating said drain valve to discharge tank water into said bowl, :1 toilet seat mounted over the opening formed by said bowl, and a hygienic spray for directing a water spray to a central area of said seat, the improvement which comprises:

(a) second valve means in communication between said tank and said spray and mounted in said tank substantially below the full water level in the tank; and

(b) a link operatively interconnecting said trip lever and in said second valve means with less lost motion than that incorporated in said trip linkage for actuating said drain valve;

(0) whereby said hygienic spray is operated prior to the discharge of tank water into said bowl.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,990,268 2/1935 Crane 47 2,094,170 9/1937 Heald 47 2,762,058 9/1956 Hurko 47 3,044,076 7/1962 Martini 47 3,045,248 7/1962 Gentry 47 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HYGIENIC SPRAY CONTROL DEVICE FOR USE WITH A TOILET PROVIDED WITH A HYGIENIC SPRAY AND HAVING A FLUSH WATER TANK, A BOWL, A WATER DRAIN VALVE IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TANK AND BOWL, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID DRAIN VALVE TO DISCHARGE WATER FROM THE TANK INTO SAID BOWL, SAID CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) SECOND VALVE MEANS LOCATED WITHIN SAID TANK AND IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID TANK AND SAID SPRAY; AND (B) MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID SECOND VALVE PRIOR TO SAID DRAIN VALVE TO DISCHARGE WATER FROM SAID TANK THROUGH SAID SPRAY, WHEREBY SAID SPRAY IS OPERATED BEFORE WATER FROM THE TANK IS DISCHARGED INTO SAID BOWL. 